Latest Chiefs win confirms suspicions about Kansas City's most effective offensive line combination
The Kansas City Chiefs' Week 15 win over the Cleveland Browns revealed something about their offensive line situation. The Chiefs got a little bold with their offensive line combination in Week 15, moving All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney out to left tackle and inserting third-year IOL Mike Caliendo at left guard. It was a bit of an […]
The Kansas City Chiefs' Week 15 win over the Cleveland Browns revealed something about their offensive line situation.
The Chiefs got a little bold with their offensive line combination in Week 15, moving All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney out to left tackle and inserting third-year IOL Mike Caliendo at left guard. It was a bit of an unexpected strategy, but given how things had gone so far this season, it was an option that Kansas City had to explore. The result? The fewest sacks and pressures allowed in a single game since Week 11.
While Thuney struggled at times against Myles Garrett in the second half, allowing several pressures, he didn't allow a single sack on the day. That's something that can't be said about a Chiefs left tackle since Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season. Wanya Morris allowed sacks from the left tackle position for two straight weeks. D.J. Humphries allowed a sack from the left tackle position in his first start in Week 14.
Beyond Thuney, Caliendo had a strong performance filling in at left guard. He did look a little lost on a few plays, which was also something I noticed at times during training camp. That could be cleaned up with time and repetition. However, his numbers on the day were about as good as you could ask for. He didn't allow a single pressure on 43 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. The only other O-Lineman to match that performance on Sunday was Creed Humphrey. It proved that the Chiefs have better interior offensive line depth than they perhaps initially realized.
Thuney and Caliendo have made the decision for the Chiefs
I feel like Thuney and Caliendo's performance has taken the decision out of Andy Reid's hands. They've proven to be the best left-side offensive line combination the team currently has, and switching it up for anything less than an injury feels like a mistake. That especially feels important with another dominant pass-rushing team coming up in the Houston Texans. It doesn't matter whether it's Patrick Mahomes or Carson Wentz back there, either.
Yes, the Chiefs signed D.J. Humphries to play left tackle, but they got him ready and acclimated on the fly after he hadn't played football since the 2023 NFL season. He suffered a hamstring injury in Week 14 as a result. Even if Humphries' hamstring injury is healed by Week 16, it feels like putting him into the lineup would only further complicate a messy situation. Let him have some extra time to heal, practice, learn the scheme and the playbook. Have him as your first reserve off the bench moving forward, knowing that he can give you something better than you'd usually get in a pinch.
Chiefs’ Week 15 snap counts reveal disturbing trend developing with Kansas City’s star DT Chris Jones
A look at the Kansas City Chiefs’ snap counts against the Cleveland Browns in Week 15.
